Conrad Black's jail rocked by riots that left eight inmates hospitalised


Eight men have been hospitalised after a riot broke out at the federal prison housing fallen newspaper tycoon Conrad Black.

One of the eight inmates was suffering from gunshot wounds, authorities admitted.

The 'large-scale fight' broke out in the recreation yard serving a high-security building at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Orlando on Sunday afternoon, prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley said.

One of Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's most prominent inmates, former Daily Telegraph owner Conrad Black, is housed in a low-security unit away from where Sunday's fighting broke out.

Former media baron Conrad Black leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse
The Coleman Federal Prison is seen through a gate in Coleman, Fla. in June of 1999.

Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, right, where disgraced media baron Conrad Black, left, has been jailed was the scene of a riot over the weekend

Low-security inmates were not involved, prison spokeswoman Ms Billingsley said.

Last year, Black reported to Coleman to begin a 6 1/2-year sentence after his conviction for fraud and obstruction of justice for swindling shareholders of the Hollinger International media empire.

The Orlando Regional Medical Center confirmed Sunday that seven people were under treatment after being taken there. It was unclear where the eighth inmate was taken and hospital officials declined to identify them by name and give details on their conditions.

No staff workers were injured.

The prison has four units that house low-, medium- and high-security inmates.

Billingsley said the fight erupted in a yard at one of the two high-security units at the federal complex, which is located about 50 miles (80 kilometres) northwest of Orlando and 60 miles (96 kilometres) northeast of Tampa.

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